Smoke generator



1954 J. F. RIGALI 2,697,427

SMOKE GENERATOR Filed July 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E mull-1- III-mill" III-1mm Bnnentox 8 Jose 0b 5900' attorneys Dec. 21, 1954 J. F. RIGALI 2,697,427

SMOKE GENERATOR Filed July 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Shem 2 United States Patent SMOKE GENERATOR Joseph F. Rigali, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Raymond H. Starr, Kansas City, Mo.

Application July 28, 1950, Serial No. 176,490

Claims. (Cl. 126-595) This invention relates to a smoke generating and circulating apparatus for supplying smoke in treatment of various food products and has for its principal objects to provide a safe, efficient and dependable apparatus capable of giving a fast generated and uniform smoke.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a small, compact self-contained unit including a feeder for a smoke forming material, heating elements for effecting combustion of the material and a circulator for withdrawing the smoke and circulating the smoke to and from the place of treatment.

Further objects of the invention are to provide the generator with removable heating elements arranged to effect substantially complete utilization of the smoke generating material; to provide for automatic discharge of the ash from the heating elements incidental to distribution of the smoke generating material; and to provide for free passage of the generated smoke around the heating elements and distributor for flow to the smoke circulator in a circuitous path.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the lilvention hereinafter pointed out I have provided improved structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a smoke generating apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, portions being broken away to better illustrate the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the smoke generating unit.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a similar section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a smoke generating apparatus embodying the features of the present invention and which includes an elongated vertically arranged sheet metal casing or housing 2 having opposed side walls 3 and 4 and front and rear walls 5 and 6 to provide a vertical: ly elongated interior space 7. The lower portions of the side walls are provided with triangular extensions 8 and 9 forming an extended base 10. The extensions 8 and 9 carry an inclined top 11 that mounts an electric current controller 12 having a control knob 13 for regulating rate of feed of the smoke producing material. The base portion includes a floor or bottom 14 that extends from the front wall 5 and under the rear wall 6 to include the extensions 8 and 9. The portion of the casing between the wall 6 and inclined top 11 provides an enclosure 15 for containing the electrical connections later described and to which access is had through an opening 16 in the inclined wall 11, the opening being closed by a removable cover 17. The perimeter of the base is reinforced by a rectangular frame 18 fixed within the angle between the side and bottom walls of the casing as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so as to provide rigid attachment for legs 19 which support the bottom of the casing above the floor.

The top of the vertical portion of the casing is closed by a top 20 and spaced there below is a partition 21 dividing the space 5 into an upper compartment 22 and a lower smoke generating compartment 23. The upper compartment is divided by a vertical partition 24 into a circulator compartment 25 and a motor compartment 26 that is completely separated from the smoke generating compartment. The smoke generating compartment, however, is connected with the circula- "ice tor compartment 25 through an inlet duct 27 depending from the partition 21 adjacent the inner side of the front wall 5 of the housing as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Mounted in the compartment 25 is a circulator or blower 28 for drawing smoke from the smoke generating compartment through the duct 27 and for circulating smoke from a smoke house or the like through an inlet connection 29 carried in the top 20 and for discharging the smoke through a duct connection 30 to which the discharge 28 of the circulator is connected as shown in Fig. 3.

Extending transversely of the lower portions of the front and rear walls 5 and 6 and spaced above the bottom 14 are angles 31 and 32 carrying a smoke generat ing unit 33. The smoke generating unit, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, includes spaced vertical plates 34 and 35 having outwardly flaring upper edges 36 to close space between the plates and the walls of the casing while the lower ends of the plates are flanged inwardly as indicated at 37 to assure dropping of ash into an ash container 38. The plates 34 and 35 are provided with legs 39 and 40 attached near the respective ends thereof and which have outwardly turned feet 41 for support on the angles 31 and 32. The plates 34 and 35 are spaced apart by guide wings 42 and 42 having upper edges spaced from the side walls 3 and 4 of the casing to provide smoke passageways 43 and 44 therebetween. The wings 42 and 42' slope downwardly and inwardly with the lower edges terminating in angular flange portions 45 and 46 overlying the outer side edges of heating elements 47 and 48 that are carried above and spaced from a similar heating element 49 as best shown in Fig. 4.

The heating elements are of elongated bar like shape and have substantially flat upper heating surfaces 50. The heating elements are carried on brackets 51 and 52 that are suspended from the guide wings 42 and 42' as shown in Fig. 4. The brackets include horizontal portions 53 having diverging terminals 54 fixed to the under sides of the wings 42 and 42 to support the horizontal portions 53 below the edges of the flange portions 45 and 46 a distance of slightly greater than the thickness of the heating elements. The horizontal portions carry pairs of upwardly directed ears 5455 to provide guides for positioning the upper heating elements in substantially horizontal parallel relation with the adjacent side edges 56 spaced apart to provide a substantially slot-like opening 57 therebetween. Each bracket also includes a bar portion 58 that is suspended below the horizontal bar portion 53 by arms 59. The arms 59 engage the sides of the heating element 49 to retain the heating element centered below the slotlike space between the upper heating elements. The upper heating elements are held against the bar portions of the brackets by inturned portions of the ears 54-55 and the lower heating element is retained by lugs 60 projecting inwardly from the arms 59.

The heating elements are adapted to be slid into position through registering openings 61 and 62 in the wal1 6 of the casing and plate 35 respectively. The heating elements are connected with a terminal block 63 that is mounted on a cross bar 64 carried within the compartment 15, the terminal block being supplied with electric current from a suitable source of current supply.

The ash container 38 includes a drawerlike pan 65 that is slideable into and out of the casing through an opening 66 that is formed in the lower portion of the side wall 3 as best shown in Fig. 1, the pan being slideable on angle shape guides 67 and 68 having their ends connected with the rectangular frame 18 as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Mounted on the wall 6 of the casing is a feeder 69 of the type disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 99,689, filed June 17, 1949. The specific feeder forms no part of the present invention and is briefly described in the present application as comprising a hopper 70 for con taining smoke generating material such as sawdust and which is discharged through the lower end of the hopper onto an oscillatory feeding device 71 actuated by a vibrating mechanism 72. The mouth 73 of the feeder 71 operates within an opening 74 that is provided within the wall 6 and connected therewith is a downwardly sloping distributor 75 having perforated bottom 76through which the sawdust or smoke forming material is distributed onto the heating elements.

In order to provide a tortuous passageway for the smoke generated and being drawn upwardly through the side passageways when the circulator is in operation, the interior of the casing is provided with upper and lower inwardly extending baffles 77 and 78 as best shown in Fig. 3.

Assuming that the apparatus is constructed and assembled as described and that the hopper 74 of the feeder contains a quantity'of smoke forming material such as sawdust, the current supply is established to the heating elements to bring the heating surfaces thereof to a temperature sufiicient for effecting combustion of the smoke forming material. The feeding device 71 is then placed in operation so that the material is fed to the distributor 75 which in turn distributes the sawdust in a thin layer on the heating surfaces of the upper heating elements. A part of the material will fall through the slot-like opening 57 from the upper heating elements 47 and 48 onto the lower heating elements 49. The heat produces combustion of the particles and the ash is displaced laterally responsive to movement of the granules of material that are directed onto the upper surfaces of the heating elements by the guide wings 42 and 42 and which prevent falling of the particles over the outer sides of the upper heating elements 47 and 48. The ash and any-partly burnedparticles displaced from the heating surfaces of the upper heating elements 48 and 47 are discharged through the slot-like opening 57 therebetween onto the lower heating element 49 where'complete'combustion is assured and the ash falls over the respective sides of the lower heating element into the pan 38. Thesmoke generated rises upwardly through the passageways 43 and 44 and directly from the space between the guide wings 42 and 42 under actionof the circulator 28.-

The smoke moves in a-tortuous path by reason of the deflectors 77 and 78 and into the circulator chamber by way of the inlet 27. The smoke is drawn into the inlet opening of thecirculator 23 and is discharged through theoutlet duct 30 to the smoke house (not shown). Operation of the circulator draws smoke from the smoke house by way of the inlet connection 29 to mix with the freshly generated smoke and to maintain constant circulationof the smoke through the smoke house.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that I have provided a smoke generating apparatus that is of small compact construction and which comprises a self-contained unit.

It is also obvious that the arrangement of heating elements provides for eflicient and complete utilization of the smoke generating material that is delivered at a rate to assure combustion before the particles have an opportunity of passingfrom the heating'elements into the ash receiving bank. The feed may also be'maintained at a rate to provide a uniform generation of smoke in the required volume.

Whati claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a smoke generator, a generator unit including a pair of elongated heating elements having substantially flat heating surfaces spaced apart to provide a substantially slot-like opening therebetweema lower elongated heating element having a similar surface disposed below said slotlike opening to receive material from the heating surfaces ofthe upper heating elements, a distributor for distributing smoke forming material alongthe length of said heating elements, guide wings disposed at outer edges of the upper heating elements and inclined downwardly toward said heating surfaces for effecting movement of said material from said heating surfaces of the upper heating elements onto the heating surfaces of the lower heating element, an ash receiver below said heating elements, end plates disposed at the ends of the heating elements and connected with the guide wings, and brackets supporting the heating elements from the guide wings.

2. 'In a smoke generator, a generator unit including a pair of elongated heating elements having substantially flat heating surfacesspaced apart to provide a substantially slot like opening therebetween, a lower elongated heating element having a similar surface disposed below said slot-like opening to receive material from the heating surfaces of the upper heating elements, a distributor for distributing smoke forming material along the length of said heating elements," guide wings disposed at outer edges of the upper heating elements and inclined downwardly toward said heating surfaces for effecting movement of said material from said heating surfaces'of the upper heating elements onto the heating surfaces of the lower heating element, an ash receiver below said heating elements, supporting plates disposed at the ends of the heating elements and connected with the guide wings, brackets supporting the heating elements from the guide wings, said plates having outwardly disposed upper edges cooperating with the guide wings for assuring discharge of the smoke forming material onto the heating surfaces and having lower edges inclining downwardly and inwardly over the ash receiver, and means carried by said plates for-supporting the unit assembly over the ash receiver.

3. A smoke generator including a vertical housing having a transverse partition dividing the housing into an upper chamber and a'low'er smoke generating chamber, a smoke circulator disposed in the upper chamber and having connection with the smoke generating chamber, a smoke generating unit disposed in' the central lower portion of the smoke generating chamber, upwardly and outwardly flaring wings at outer sides of said generating-unitand spaced from opposite side walls'of-the housing to pro' vrde smoke passages between said walls and the wings, a feeder carried by said housing and having discharge into the housing over the'smoke generating unit, and bafiles' extending from said walls of the housing inwardly over the smoke passageways and staggered with respect to each other to form a tortuous passage for smoke rising from the heating elements through said passageways.

4 A smoke generatorincluding avertical housing having a transverse partition dividing the housing into an upper chamber and an interconnected lower smoke generating chamber, a smoke generating unit disposed in the central lower portionof the smoke generating chamber, upwardly and outwardly'flaring wings at outer sides of said'heating elernents said wings being spaced from side walls of the housing to provide smoke passages between said walls and the wings, a feeder carried-by said housing and havingdischarge into the housing over the smoke-generating unit, baffles extending from said walls of the housing inwardly over the smoke passageways and staggered with respect :toeach other to form a tortuous passage for smoke rising' 'from the heating elements, a vertical partition dividing the upper chamher into a-circulator compartment and a motor com partment, a smoke circulator in the circulator compart ment for drawing the'generated smoke into the circulating compartment, a motor in the motor compartment,

and'a driving connection between the circulator and said motor, said circulating compartment having an inlet and an outlet connected with the circulator.

5. A smoke generator including a vertical housing having a transverse partition dividing the housing into anupper chamber and a lower smoke generating chamher, a smoke circulator disposed in 'the upper chamber and having connection with the smoke generating chain her, a smoke generatingunit disposed in the lower portion of the smoke generating chamber including elongated heating elements spaced apart to provide a slot-like opening therebetween, upwardly and-outwardly flaring wings at outer sides of said heatingelements and spaced from sidewalls ofthe :housing to provide smoke passages between said walls and thewings, an elongated heating element below thespa'ce between said spaced heating elements, a feeder carried bysaid housing and having discharge into thehousing over thesmoke generating unit, and batllesextending fromsaidwalls of the housing inwardlyoverthesrnokepassageways and above'the feeder, said baffies being staggered with respect to each other 'to form a tortuous passage for smoke rising from the heating elements.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 567,190 Myers Sept; -8, 1896 803,610 Lindemann Nov.'7, 1905 924,315 Buehring June 22, 1909 1,225,798 Gaudy May 15, 1917' 1,318,579 M'cClave Oct. 14, 1919 1,533,241 'Forshee Apr. 14, 1925 1,618,501 Woodruff Feb. 22, 1927 (Other references 'onfollowing page) Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Taylor June 23, 1931 5 533 Riley May 31, 1932 5 454 00 White May 8, 1934 Ames Nov. 2, 1937 Reynoldson Dec. 9, 1941 6 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany May 11, 1908 France Apr. 18, 1913 

